


the worship

by venefxcia



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Gen, Police Officer Steve Harrington, References to Depression, Slow Burn, Steve is a cop, Supernatural Elements, Unlikely Friendships, carol and tommy are the worst but i plan on saving carol from that fuckin freckled muppet, deadass serious gang, more tags will be added the longer this series goes, otherwise general hawkins danger is afoot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-04 05:00:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13357035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venefxcia/pseuds/venefxcia
Summary: September of 1985:Lucy had a rough hand dealt to her after high school. After a traumatic blow affects her day to day life, she decides to leave for a quiet little town in Indiana so she can put her life back together. However, life in the sleepy town isn't as peaceful as it seems, as Lucy finds herself at the side of a fresh rookie cop and tangled up in the looming threat of a bizarre cult terrorizing the civilians - will they be able to get to the bottom of things before someone pays the ultimate price?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for supporting my writing and this story! Please remember to leave comments and review, I'd love to know your thoughts! x

Every so often, since the day I’d first earned my driver’s license, I took joy in taking short trips. Sometimes on my own, and sometimes with another person, but they were always exactly what I needed. Like some kind of breath of fresh air, but for my mind and soul. I was the first to admit that I was easily stressed, especially in recent days, but it was almost as if it was endless right now, and the further I drove from home, the more relaxed I slowly became.

I sat with my foot pressed half hard on the gas, one arm out the open window to my left and my right hand loose on the wheel, and once the large sign welcoming me into Indiana whizzed past me, I hissed out a shaky sigh of growing relief. I’d finally crossed the line to my new life. Sure, I wasn’t exactly sure what step came after leaving Norfolk, but the uncertainty hadn’t yet stopped me. I’d chosen an uncertain day-to-day life in Hawkins over the likelihood of my own inevitable death in Norfolk. I knew what I was capable of stuck inside my own head, and if I couldn’t get rid of the noise in my head, I’d get out of the place where all the noise began.

The long stretch of Hoosier main road set my mind at ease, and once I was sure I could breathe, once I saw the small Hawkins welcome sign breeze past me, I flicked my stereo on and let it play whatever was in the cassette player echo through my Audi Quattro. Madonna, unsurprisingly. Likely from a mix I’d made myself for my last drive, songs recorded from my stereo in my room. I was certain that I seemed like something of a cliche- a young blonde thing driving alone in the like-new 83’ model she’d been given by her parents, listening to Madonna at what had to have been top volume in the middle of the night. I was a noise complaint on four newly replaced tires. The self conscious part of me toyed with the idea of fast forwarding to whatever the next song may be, but the part of me that lived and breathe for the flair of dramatics like I was some kind of Andrew Lloyd Webber protege was giving my nervous half the double bird and yelled “FUCK IT” like it was a thing to do. 

I was new at this whole  _ runaway  _ concept, too green to realize that you’re not meant to draw attention to yourself in the process. So green, in fact, that the hand freely groping at the brisk midnight air jolted back to the wheel when red and blue lights lit up behind my Quattro, a matching siren giving a short whirr targeted at me, and my sleepy green eyes flitted to the speedometer: 60 in a 45.  _ Impressive,  _ I thought to myself,  _ uncovering new ways to get off to terrible starts, like some kind of jaded scientist.  _ My self-loathing followed me all the way to the side of the road as I shakily pulled over and sharply turned the music down to a whisper. I couldn’t recall my nerves coming back, but I’d already been on the road for almost a full day. Nearly 12 total hours of driving, only stopping to eat and piss. I was exhausted. Maybe this was a sign.  _ Stop running for like, five fucking minutes. _

In my head, I could have sworn that I’d only been pulled to the side of the early autumn road for a few moments, digging into my glove compartment for any kind of identification I could find- whatever it took to keep from getting a ticket on my first day living this new life I’d so bravely and stupidly gone hunting for, but there was already the telltale tap at my windowframe, and it gave me such a sudden jump that my wallet leapt from my hand and into the passenger seat next to me. With a sigh, I turned, eyes squinting through the yellow beam of the flashlight that the officer there had been prodding through the dark. I tried to blink away the after images of the light, but as he began to speak to me, I rubbed my eyes a bit, like it was going to fix my stunned vision.

“Not to sound like an ass, but do you know how fast you were going?”

I was admittedly caught off guard by the voice I heard as my eyes tried to blink themselves into some kind of normal vision. I’d been pulled over a number of times in my life, mostly as I was still getting used to driving as a concept. All officers had been roughly my father’s age, and admittedly, I had no qualms with turning on the waterworks, if it came down to it. Mom once tried to shame me for it, telling me it was immature of me to try and weasel my way out of consequence, but I always argued that that was the job of a performer, to make the audience believe something that isn’t true. But as it were, this audience sounded different, spoke different. He sounded young, maybe my age, but I still couldn’t make out his face. I could see the outline of limbs and hair, but beyond that, I still saw grey and yellow clouds in my vision. His flashlight whipped away from my face as I squinted in disapproval, and I undoubtedly heard him swear at himself.

“Oh,  _ shit,  _ I totally just blinded you- sorry,” he said, and the way it came out was with some kind of childlike earnesty, like I could suddenly be the one to get him into trouble. It was... strange. Nothing I’d ever heard from an officer before.

“It’s fine, don’t worry...” I reassured him, entirely aware of how drowsy my voice sounded. “Yeah, uh... I was tired and messing with the radio so I could stay awake. I guess I didn’t realize I was pushing on the gas so hard.” One more rub and my eyes focused on his, brown and somewhere between sweet and smug, as if no matter how kind he could ever be (and seriously, I got the feeling that there was an incredible amount of kindness in him), he always desired to be a step ahead at the very least. Those brown eyes laid under what I only dared to call a  _ mane  _ of chestnut hair, like it was a meticulously crafted feature of his that required a daily routine. An almost boyish smile and somewhat lean frame draped in an officer’s uniform wrapped up the package. He had to have been my age, without a doubt.  _ No wonder,  _ I thought,  _ only a rookie would managed to get stuck with speeders past midnight. _

“Can I see your ID?” he asked, and I simply nodded and slid him the card. He seemed to gleam over it just for a few moments before his eyes fell back on me. “Virginia... don’t tell me you’ve been driving all night?” He folded his arms against the open window of my door, looking me over as if to see how tired I was, but I shrugged a bit, brushing off the concern evident in his voice.

“Is it technically  _ all night  _ if I started driving when it was daylight?” I asked, and was both surprised and relieved when I was met with a laugh instead of a huff of disapproval. Maybe I’d evade a ticket yet.

“Lucy-” he said my name softly, eyes drawn back onto the ID in his hand, and I perked at the sound of my name, like I hadn’t heard it in years, “you’re a long way from home.” His eyes went from the ID, to me, and then to the back seat of my car, and I could pinpoint the moment where his face fell. Half my life was packed up and crammed in the back seats, clothes and personal belongings pouring from bags and boxes. I’d probably almost be able to pass for a travelling college student had it not been for the food and drink packages in a bag next to a pillow and a blanket wrapped up in each other on my passenger side seat. I may as well have had the word  _ RUNAWAY  _ tattooed on my forehead.

He gave me what appeared to be a somewhat sad, worried smile. “Where are you headed?” he asked. “How much farther do you have to go?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, bare from my blonde hair sitting tied up on the back of my head. “Hawkins was my end goal. As far as  _ where... _ ” I let out a short exhale from my nose that somewhat resembled a laugh. “That remains to be seen. Maybe a quiet little parking lot somewhere in this quiet little town so I can look at places.” I made sure to say it with confidence, but it was clear that I’d done nothing to ease his concern. His hands laid down on the edge of the window of my car and he leaned back, shaking his head.

“Oh, no, yeah, that’s not-- that’s a no,” he stuttered, and I could feel my eyes widen a bit, between confusion and indignance. No? What in the hell would he prefer I did? I was a nineteen year old runaway with no job and just enough money to just barely get by. I had no other options. It was evident that my indignance was clear because he sighed a bit, seemingly softening up again. “Doesn’t matter how quiet a parking lot in a quiet town is, no girl should be living out of her car.”

I gave him a weak laugh that vibrated from my throat. “Okay, well, there’s not a lot I can do, I don’t-”

He smacked his hand against the edge of the open window, like he’d come up with a brilliant idea, and it snatched me from my argument. “I’ll lead you into town, I know a hotel right in the center of town.”

“I can’t afford a hotel,” I told him, and he gave me a look like lifelong friends can give each other, the kind of look that says  _ stop fucking arguing with me.  _

“I’ll handle it, blondie,” he said firmly, and although his tone did come off as pretentious, almost demanding, I saw the soft plead in his eyes. Genuine concern, begging me to stay safe. The way I gave into it was almost reflexive, like the way his eyes fell on me, I couldn’t refuse him. With a sigh, I rubbed my face with both hands and looked back at him, glancing for a quick moment at the tag on the front of his shirt.

“Fine... fine, you’ve got a deal,” I said with a weak smile, and this seemed to please him greatly, as I watched his boyish smile grow to a shameless beam as he handed me back my ID. “Thank you,  Officer Harrington...”

“Just my job,” he said with a smile, and an almost playful wink, and I honestly would have been lying if I tried to say that it didn’t make me smile with ease. “And call me Steve.” He grins at me, outstretching a somewhat big hand to me, and I shake it, smiling softly.

“Welcome to Hawkins, little miss Lucy Shay.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was only as I followed Steve’s cruiser that I realized how fast I’d truly been going down the dead empty road. I hadn’t bothered to roll my window back up as I began to drive again, because in a weird way, I was somewhat intoxicated by the air around me. I’d been quite used to the city all my life, busy factories and restaurants and garbage trucks abound, I was used to a variety of scents. All I could smell here was the crisp autumn air, and despite the chill flowing from the open window, I couldn’t get enough of it. I’d already turned my music back on, though not nearly as loud, finally relaxing again as I sang along to Joan Jett’s Do You Wanna Touch Me with very little shame.

If I was to be frank, I supposed I’d say that calling myself a  _ runaway  _ was a touch excessive. It seemed to imply that I had somehow left my entire world behind under the cover of night, without telling a soul where I was headed, when that was absolutely not the case. In fact, I made sure to explicitly tell my parents every thought I had on the matter since day one. The moment I suggested leaving this way to my mother, she nearly burst into tears, and had thought it was something she had done, that I was somehow upset with her, but that wasn’t the case. At first, my dad’s main concern was that I was staving off college indefinitely, but at the end of the day, the more I talked them through what I felt like I needed, the more they understood why I wanted this. I begged them to think of it more as a vacation more than anything. I’d be back, but only on my terms. Only when I felt like I was better for having left. 

So with a kiss on the cheek from mom and dad, they gave me the old car, a bit of money to get by, let me pack myself up, and leave Norfolk after one last family breakfast sitting like a brick in my stomach.

I pulled the volume back on my stereo as we finally pulled into town; it was a scene I’d seen before, however on a larger scale back home. Rows of local shops and restaurants, some single stories, others multi levels with apartments above. No lights lit up the street save for dull yellow street lights and a few blinking orange traffic lights. I was being led through the sleepiest little town I’d ever been to. I was even drowsier just thinking about it.

I followed Steve’s cruiser into the small, nearly empty lot of what I knew had to be a locally owned hotel. Only one other car sat in the lot besides myself and Steve, and I knew that had to at least be the front desk staff. Something told me there was a vacancy.

I shut off my car and got out, meeting Steve at the doors where he offered me a smile. “Let me go in and see what I can make happen,” he assured me, followed by a wink that was identical to his earlier one. I smiled back and nodded as I watched him go inside, going right to the desk.

I couldn’t hear anything that was being said, but I could see Steve grinning as he leaned against the desk, averting his eyes every so often, and it seemed as though after everything he spoke, the sweet, starry-eyed girl at the desk giggled and played with her hair. It hit me-  _ that sneaky shit,  _ I thought,  _ he’s flirting his way into getting me a free room.  _ Part of me wanted to run in there and drag him out, but on the other hand, it seemed to me like he was already doing a damn good job as it was, and who would I be to tell a man not to utilize his talents. Better to take advantage of charm than power, I suppose. 

I pretended as if I hadn’t been watching as he came back out, combing both hands through his full head of hair, and in that moment, just for a second, I understood how the girl at the front desk felt. I’d be stupid to try and say even for a moment that he wasn’t handsome as hell, and I definitely wasn’t stupid. Emotional, petty, and typically angry, yes, but not stupid.

“You have a room here as long as you need it,” he began with an almost smug grin, like a thief that’s just gotten away with a big steal. “I talked her into putting it on the station’s billing ledger, so you don’t owe a penny. I may owe Flo an apology and a coffee when I get to the station in the morning, but that’s all. Just... let’s make working out a job and apartment the two top priorities.” His smug grin turns into a soft smile. “Want some help bringing some stuff inside?”

I didn’t have to put much thought in before I nodded. My body grew more and more tired as each second passed, and I was sure he could see it on me. Even as he helped me bring things in and to my double queen suite from my car, he never once let me grab the heavier things, as if he thought my body may give out between the weight and my exhaustion, and honestly, that was a fair assumption.

I sat on the edge of one of the beds as Steve set the last box down in the room, and I gave him a somewhat tired smile. “You’re kinda young to be an officer,” I told him, to which he exhaled a lazy chuckle.

“Yeah, I know. Guess I just got lucky,” he joked as he leaned against the wall with a somewhat bemused sigh. His smile faded after a moment, and he seemed to examine me with that same worried look he gave me back on the road. “Are you okay? Like... is  _ everything _ ... okay?” He didn’t pry or press, but I could tell something in him wanted to, wanted to make sure he was doing everything he possibly could for me. It was sweet. I couldn’t tell him I wasn’t.

“I’ll get there,” I said, and it was true, or at least I hoped. “I’m doing better now, though.” I forced my smile to grow more than my face wanted it to. “I really appreciate this, all of this.”

Steve waved a hand before crossing his arms across his chest with a half grin. “Don’t mention it, blondie. It wouldn’t be a very good Hawkins welcome if I just left you out to sleep in your car, now would it?” I laughed dryly at that and shook my head.

“I guess not.” I looked up and saw him reach into his pocket, and after a moment, he passed me a little card.  _ Hawkins, IN Police Dept.  _ was sprawled in the center, with the address and several desk phone numbers listed below under the chief of police. 

“Try and get some sleep, okay?” he suggested softly, to which I nodded. “And, uh... feel free to come by the station if you need anything, okay? Anything at all, I’m your guy.”

I smiled softly, and stood up with another nod as I gently put my hand on his arm. “I will, I promise.” We both paused for a moment, and in that time, I felt compelled to hug him, even though I didn’t. After this long, exhausting, and emotionally draining day, I was better off not diving into another person emotionally, especially someone as kind as Steve. He didn’t deserve to have my depressed carcass draped all over him. 

Instead, he smiled back at me and nodded, heading for the door. “I’ll see you around, then,” he said, before turning around with a grin. “Oh, Lucy...?” I paused as I followed him, blinking, and his grin began to grow even bigger. “I could hear you singing in your car- you have a nice voice.”

I laughed softly; not because I thought he was being funny, or because I was upset, but I was surprised. Surprised that anyone, especially for someone who had known me for such a short amount of time would go so out of their way to have heard me... or was I really just that loud. Regardless, I felt my face heat up, and I tucked a wisp of loose hair behind my ear.

“Thanks,” I mused with a soft smile as he passed my doorway into the hall, and he turned to grin at me as I gave him an almost playfully coy grin. “Maybe you’ll get to hear me again sometime.”

He chuckled, and I took solace in this soft moment in life that I’ve somehow earned as he smiled at me gently, like I’ve said something that warmed him. “I hope so.” He gave me a small wave as he left, and I shut the door. 

As I latched the deadbolt, I leaned against the wood of the door and exhaled shakily. Finally. I had made it. I took my time in taking a hot shower, getting into pajamas that smelled like home, and sitting on top of the nicely made queen bed as I wrapped myself in the blanket I’d brought with me. I grabbed the remote off the bedside table and searched for a channel that was still on-air, some kind of noise. Anything to keep me from remembering what I’d still yet to cope with.

I was completely alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i deeply appreciate you taking the time to read this series! please remember to leave a comment if you have any thoughts! x


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up hours later in a tangle of my blanket and the duvet cover of the bed beneath me, hair fanned across my face and the pillow under me, to the sound of game show buzzers ringing. When my eyes finally cracked open, sunlight was beaming into my room, making the beige wallpaper almost glow in the yellow light. I sat up with a groan and rubbed my eyes with both hands like a child would. Even after a sleep like that, I still felt sluggish in my bed, and it was almost impossible to genuinely get up. When I finally did, there was only one thing on my mind:

Coffee.

Before I could reward myself, however, I needed to call my parents and let them know I was okay. God knew that if I didn’t, they’d send out some kind of search party to make sure that I wasn’t dead in a ditch at the state line. It was a teary call that took nearly half an hour, consisting mostly of me reassuring my parents that I was okay and safe, and I told them where I was staying, right down to my room number. I didn’t dare leave them in the dark about where I was: they deserved better than that. I wanted them to be able to talk to me if they ever needed me. I may have been terrible at being there for other people, but I refused to let down the people that literally gave me life.

Once I’d hung up, I hauled myself out of bed and shut off the television, forcing myself to put on something decent and even put on a bit of makeup. I didn’t have a whole lot of drive to do any of that, but I had the fleeting hope that if I forced it out of me, maybe I’d be rewarded with a job later in the day. If I was lucky, at least.

I brushed my hair out and pinned some of it back out of my face, letting the rest of it fall in waves down my back. I looked far and away from my sluggish self last night; I was sure I’d likely resembled some exhausted, sad-looking goblin at that point. And that poor officer still dealt with me.

Oh, shit.  _ Steve. _

In my morning haze, I’d forgotten all about Steve, and the moment I recalled his name from sheer impulse, the events of the evening came rushing back, and all I could somehow think of was how incredibly kind he had been. Logic told me to forget about it, told me that he was a cop and that it’s his job to guide people in his town. However, impulse, the stronger and more aggressive portion of my psyche, demanded that I repay him somehow. Then my mind poked me just once more:

Coffee. Coffee is always a good payment method.

I grabbed my keys, room key and all, and left for the best coffee I could manage to find in the little town.

I settled on something local that was flooded with bleary-eyed young adults like myself trying to get a fix to wake them up. I could relate on an almost molecular level, the way their post-adolescent bodies trudged and dragged as they left the shop, some immediately downing their drinks and others taking out cigarettes to pair with their coffee. I couldn’t smoke; sure, I’d probably feel quite a lot less anxiety from just one long drag, but I knew it was terrible for my voice. High school theatre taught me a lot about my assets and how to take care of them, and I knew for a fact that my voice was one of them. I’d heard before that cutting out dairy and coffee and alcohol would help keep my voice in better shape, but I had a feeling that none of those would be leaving my diet any time soon.

I held both coffees stacked in one hand as I drove, the other hand flat against the steering wheel as I glanced at the card between my fingers and narrowed my eyes down at each street sign, before I was finally able to pull into the small lot of the sheriff’s department, in front of a sign that said VISITORS ONLY. I let myself in the best I could with no free hands, and leaned against the front desk, behind which an older woman sat doing paperwork. I glanced at the name placard on her desk and smiled.

“Hi, Florence... is, uh... is Officer Harrington around?” I asked gently, suddenly far too aware of how childlike I sounded, asking for someone at the front desk by name. It brought me back to the times I would visit my father at work sometimes. It was bizarre, both off-putting but with a sense of normalcy behind it.

She didn’t look up at me, and it was almost as if she was somewhat dismissive of me for a moment. “If you have a crime or incident you’d like to report, we need to fill out the appropriate paperwork before an officer is involved.”

I paused for a moment and shook my head. “N-no, I’m... I don’t have anything I need to report, I just-” I cut myself off for a moment, realizing how frantic I was suddenly beginning to sound, and Florence looked up at me finally, eyes gazing at me over thick, round glasses. “I was in a bit of a jam and he was...  _ really  _ kind to me last night, I just... my name is Lucy, I... just... wanted to repay him.” I punctuated the end by raising a cup of coffee, and for some reason, this seemed to earn a somewhat amused grin from her.

“You do know that we make hot coffee here, right, sweetheart?” she asked me gently, and I panned, knowing my face probably went blank for a moment.

“...I mean, I know that  _ now, _ ” I replied after a short pause. Her grin widened a little bit as she came out from behind the desk, pulling me aside somewhat and gently holding my arm.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate the gesture,” she reassured me as she lead me past the reception area. “You must be his pretty little damsel in distress he was talking about.”

My face warmed a bit as she led me. “He said I was pretty?” I hated the way my words came out, like some fawning schoolgirl, but this only seemed to amuse Florence more. She placed a hand on the center of my back, ushering me to go past the doorway where a few officers’ desk filled.

“Steve, honey,” she said, just slightly behind me, and I could hear the grin in her voice, “you have another visitor.”

As Florence walked back to her desk, I saw Steve seated at his own desk, feet up on the surface and elbows rested on the arms of his chair, hair tousled from however many passes his hands had to have made through it over the course of the day; however he wasn’t alone. At the end of his desk, somewhat next to him, sat a round-faced boy of maybe thirteen, wearing a trucker hat and a brown jacket, his backpack sitting open at his feet as his homework lays strewn about Steve’s desk. The boy looks from me to Steve, before his round face bursts into an uncontrollable and infectious grin. 

“Is that the girl from last night?” he teased Steve, a lisp on his voice, and I glanced a surprised grin at Steve, whose face flushed, shooting a look at the boy.

“Alright, Henderson, beat it, or else you’re walking home from the arcade tonight,” Steve shot back, although the smile that his face lacked was crystal clear in his voice, causing the boy to laugh as he collected his things up and running past me.

“Bye, Steve!” he called, before adding: “Bye, Steve’s Girlfriend!”

I watched the boy run to his bike out front, before I turned back to Steve, who now stood at his desk, face still a little red as he placed his hands on his hips loosely. “So... you tell a lot of people about me, Officer?” I mused, walking over to his desk, and he replied with a somewhat sheepish laugh.

“Flo called you my Damsel-”

“Damsel in distress, yeah,” I finished with him, both of us laughing somewhat. “And... was that your little brother...?”

He paused, shrugging a bit. “Sort of. I kind of... look out for some of the... less popular kids in town. Make sure they’re okay and stuff.”

I gave him a small smile. “Pretty noble of you,” I said softly, and he gave me a gentle smile, like what I said really brought a smile to his face and heart. I stuck a hand out and handed him one of the coffees. “I, uh... thought I’d get you a coffee. Y’know, pay you back for your nobility.”

He replied with a faint laugh as he took the coffee. “You know we have coffee here, right?” I waved my hand.

“Yeah, yeah, next time I’ll get you a cruller or something, hush,” I mused back, and he laughed a little.

“Either way. Thank you. You didn’t have to,” he said gently as he sat back down, and I took the cue to sit where the round-faced boy had once sat, somewhat close to him. “You look cute today,” he added, almost quickly like he didn’t mean to say it out loud. He affirmed this sentiment by stuttering, and somewhat trying to explain himself. “Not that you didn’t look cute last night, just... you were tired... I mean, you’re dressed nice and stuff-- wow, okay, Harrington, that’s enough.” He took a long drink of his coffee, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little, face warm.

“Thank you.” I said softly, smiling somewhat shyly. “I figured it’d be easier to get a job if I looked halfway decent.”

Steve hummed as he set his coffee down. “Mm- have you checked anywhere yet? Noticed any hiring signs anyplace?” he asked with a somewhat hopeful lilt in his voice, but I shook my head.

“Not yet. Not exactly sure where to start, I guess.”

“Well, what are you good at?” he asked with a hint of interest, like he was almost asking for himself rather than to think of places for me. I offered a lazy shrug as I sat back and crossed my legs.

“I dunno. Theatre was what I mostly did in highschool,” I confessed, looking away somewhat. Steve clicked his tongue.

“Yeah, you came to the wrong town if you’re looking for any real theatre,” he said, as if he thought he was going to break my heart by telling me that. Seconds later, however, he grinned up at me. “But hey, if you wanna put those pipes to work, I know a restaurant a few blocks up that’s looking for a new lounge singer.”

I paused for a moment. Something like that wasn’t an option back home, but here... I could maybe make it work. “Really? I could totally do that...”

“I mean, I don’t know what it pays or anything, but they’ve needed someone for a while,” he said with a shrug. “Worth checking out.”

“Yeah, totally...” I said softly, before giving him a smile. “Thanks. For everything, y’know.”

He chuckled a bit, his ever-adorable brown eyes finding mine as if he’d been waiting on permission to look at me. “Hey, don’t sweat it.  _ Sworn Oath  _ and all that shit.” I laugh a little, and the moment is quiet and pleasant for another few perfect moments before hard footsteps come into the open office area, and I turn to see the chief of police somewhat hovering in the doorway, red in the face, not from panic but rather annoyance, as his eyes fell on Steve, who suddenly looked up at his chief with somewhat wide eyes, the way a child looks at their teacher. The image was both hilarious and adorable.

“Sorry to interrupt, Miss Damsel, but I gotta steal your knight,” he said, his voice somewhat gruff, but with an undertone of kindness and sincerity. Regardless of the tone, Steve just about choked on his coffee, his face going red again as he caught his breath. “Harrington, I’m gonna need your help, we have another Eleanor Gillepsie situation.”

Steve bobbed his head a bit, a wave of tousled brown hair moving with him. “You got it, I’ll be right out, Hop,” Steve reassured him through a couple more coughs, before I watched him nod and head back outside to his car to wait. I looked back at Steve with an amused grin, biting my lip.

“Is there anyone you  _ haven’t  _ told about me?” I asked, my grin beginning to grow into a smirk, and he exhaled a somewhat nervous laugh.

“Well, I haven’t seen the janitor yet today,” he joked, and I laughed gently as he stood, grabbing his jacket and taking his coffee with him as he headed for the door. “You should let me know if that restaurant comes through for you. I still fully intend on hearing you sing again.” 

All I could manage to do as he grinned and waved to me while he left was smile as I finished my coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this was an ungodly kind of wait for the next chapter, but i appreciate those of you that are still sticking around for this story to pick up. for anyone who isn't following me on tumblr, i took a brief leave to take care of myself, but as writing makes me happy, i knew i needed to come back. anyways, another update should hopefully come sooner than this one did! please give me some feedback!! i know this seems a bit aimless at the moment, but there is a genuine hawkins plot coming! thanks as always my loves!!


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